Heart to Heart

I have been thinking about the branch that abides in the vine and wondering about the intersection where the branch takes off to grow and bear fruit. I have wondered about the common denominator of the two and where the abiding takes place. How does the branch grow and gain nourishment from the vine? Then I realized:

The heart of the vine and the heart of the branch connect!

The stream -- the life-blood -- flows through the heart of the plant. The life-sustaining food spills from the heart of the vine to the heart of the branch and causes the yield of fruit, more fruit, and much fruit!

John 15:5, "I am the vine, you are the branches, He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."

In the same way, we must maintain a heart-to-heart existence dependent upon our Heavenly Father. We must follow Him with all of our hearts and yearn to know how He thinks and what His nature is. What is God's character? What makes Him pleased? How can I hear His heartbeat?

The desire within must be for Him, or we are not in Christ. We cannot abide if our heart is not in it. There will never be true nourishment if we resist the grace of God and refuse to submit to His leading.

Jesus teaches a principle in the Sermon on the Mount that applies very well here. "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other," Matthew 6:24a.

If we have asked Jesus to come into our lives and to be our Lord, then we have relinquished our "rights" to being our own masters. When we attempt to leave Him out of some of our decisions, or resist Him in some areas of our lives, then we find ourselves competing with God for the lordship of our lives. In other words, we try to serve two masters. The Scripture tells us that we will have conflict if we try to carry on in such a manner.

To abide in Christ is to enjoy peaceful surrender to the One that loves us.

Lord Jesus, we want to be heart to heart with You. The fruit in my life is Your business, Lord, but it is my responsibility to learn about you. I want to get close to You, and I want You to lead the way. Thank you, Jesus. Amen.

Matthew 6:33, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."